Nov. 5: Although she prides herself on having run a “clean race” for mayor, Linda Balzotti repeatedly brought up two controversies in her successful campaign against incumbent Mayor James E. Harrington: the city’s redevelopment group and the search for a new superintendent.

Nov. 5: A new City Council brings promise of hope for city residents, said Ward 6 Councilor Michelle DuBois, who overcame a challenge to clinch a 64 percent to 35 percent victory at the polls on Tuesday. DuBois was elected to a third term Tuesday when voters also chose Thomas Monahan to represent Ward 2 and Jass Stewart as a councilor-at-large.

Nov. 4: Moments after cheering and applause heralded her election as the new mayor of Brockton, Linda Balzotti said becoming the city’s first female mayor is more than just historic — it also sends a powerful message to “any little girl” with a dream. Balzotti defeated Mayor James E. Harrington by by a margin of victory of about 56 percent to 43 percent.

Nov. 4: Voters have made Linda Balzotti the first female mayor in Brockton's history and African-American Jass Stewart the first black city councilor. Also in Tuesday's city election, three incumbent councilors-at-large won new terms. Michelle DuBois won reelection as Ward 6 councilor and Thomas D. Monahan took the open Ward 2 councilor seat vacated by Michael Brady. Timothy Sullivan won the Ward 7 School Committee seat vacated by Ronald Dobrowski, and incumbent Janice Beyer won another term as Ward 3 School Committee member.

Nov. 4: Jass Stewart twice ran and lost the mayor’s race, but on Tuesday he finally made it to City Hall as a councilor-at-large. Stewart was a close fourth behind the three incumbents, Robert Sullivan, Thomas Brophy and Todd Petti, elected from a field of eight.

Nov. 4: In Brockton on Tuesday, 13,113 voters — or 28 percent — of the city’s 46,906 voters cast ballots to put the first woman – Linda Balzotti – in the mayor’s office and the first minority – Jass Stewart – on the City Council.

Nov. 3: Mayor James E. Harrington has conceded that he has lost his bid for a third term, as challenger Linda Balzotti appears to be the apparent winner and the first female mayor in Brockton's history. The mayor made a brief concession speech at about 8:35 p.m. at Joe Angelo's restaurant before supporters. "I love this city. It has been an honor to serve this city for over 20 years," Harrington told the group.

Nov. 2: The mayoral race that pits an incumbent against a sitting city councilor is expected to draw the most attention when voters go to the polls on Tuesday. Election officials predict a 26 percent or larger turnout.

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Nov. 1: On a sidewalk outside the Shaw’s and Home Depot plaza on Crescent Street, 5-year-old Jason Wonodi, dressed as Spiderman, shook hands Saturday with James E. Harrington, dressed — as usual — as the mayor.Meanwhile, in a quiet neighborhood off North Main Street, Harrington’s opponent in Tuesday’s election, Councilor-at-large Linda Balzotti, was doing what she’s done since June: pounding the pavement and knocking on doors, this time in Ward 7.

Nov. 1: Positive ideas, inclusive strategies and a motivated citizenry are the currency the city needs to build a better Brockton in the months and years to come. We believe Linda Balzotti will work to achieve those goals and re-energize her hometown. We endorse her candidacy for mayor.

Oct. 30: Finding ways to maintain city services during $40 million in budget cuts is one of the things Mayor James E. Harrington is proudest of during his four years at the helm of the city. As Harrington faces a strong challenger for his job in Councilor-at-large Linda Balzotti, the 61-year-old hopes voters will give plenty of weight to his experience during the general election Nov. 3. (Watch his hour-long interview with The Enterprise editorial board.)

Oct. 29: As the Brockton Ward 4 councilor, Linda Balzotti built a coalition of residents from the city and East Bridgewater to keep a controversial landfill from reopening on the border of the two communities. Now, if elected mayor, Balzotti said she will use those same skills to lead the city, engaging people in the process and working with local and state agencies to reinvigorate the city, its neighborhoods, economy and schools. (Watch her hour-long interview with The Enterprise editorial board.)

Oct. 29: Incumbent James Harrington and challenger Linda Balzotti clashed over a wide range off issues during the 90-minute debate at Massasoit Community College’s Buckley Performing Arts Center, before a crowd of 75.

Oct. 28: The incumbent and challenger for the mayor’s office will face off tonight at Massasoit Community College in their final debate. Mayor James E. Harrington is seeking to defend his record over four years in the job, while Councilor-at-large Linda Balzotti is hoping to prove it’s time for a new approach.

Oct. 23: Pledging to bring a new style of leadership to the city, challenger Linda Balzotti went on the offensive against incumbent James E. Harrington in their second debate. Harrington took every chance he could to strike back.

Oct. 7: The rhetoric between the two candidates for mayor is heating up as incumbent and challenger prepare for their first debate Thursday. The debate will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Massasoit Conference Center.

Sept. 25: On Thursday, when the two sat side-by-side for two hours in the WXBR-1460 AM studio, Mayor James Harrington tried to show that experience counts. Challenger Linda Balzotti, meanwhile, said she’s a leader and ready to take the corner office.

Sept. 17: Mayor James Harrington still has a lot of time to convince voters that he deserves a third term in office when they go to the polls again on Nov. 3. But he can’t be feeling too good after being trounced in the preliminary election Tuesday by City Councilor Linda Balzotti.

Sept. 16: Our totally unscientific, just-for-fun poll of Tuesday's preliminary election for mayor turned out to be reasonably accurate, calling the finish in the correct order and by percentages that reflected the actual results.

Sept. 16: Incumbent James E. Harrington and challenger Linda M. Balzotti are off and running in the race to become the city’s next mayor — and history could be made if she is elected on Nov. 3 to become the city's first female mayor.

Sept. 16: In Tuesday’s preliminary election, Linda Balzotti, a councilor-at-large, was the top vote-getter in the mayoral race, snagging 56.4 percent of the 6,257 votes cast to earn a spot on the ballot in the Nov. 3 general election. Incumbent James Harrington, seeking his third term, garnered 35.2 percent of the vote to become the second mayoral nominee.

Sept. 10: The four candidates for mayor sparred over downtown development, the proposed power plant, crime and city finances in a debate on Sept. 3. On the ballot in the Sept. 15 preliminary election are incumbent Mayor James E. Harrington, Councilor-at-large Linda Balzotti, business owner Arnold Greenblatt and political newcomer Stephen Walsh. That vote will narrow the slate to two candidates, who will

Aug. 18: Political newcomer Stephen Walsh faces incumbent Mayor James E. Harrington, Councilor-at-large Linda Balzotti and Brockton businessman Arnold Greenblatt in the preliminary race. On Sept. 15, the slate will be narrowed to two candidates who will vie to be the next mayor in the November election.

July 28: The two-time mayoral candidate will face 10 other candidates in the preliminary election on Sept. 15 that will send eight councilor-at-large candidates to the Nov. 3 election. Ultimately, four will be elected.

March 8: Councilor-at-Large Linda Balzotti has known Mayor James E. Harrington for more than two decades as a friend and colleague on the City Council. But the relationship between the two has changed to political opponent, as both are vying to become the city’s next mayor.

Sept. 12, 2008: Mayor James Harrington must wonder if he will ever get to rest during his political career. Almost as soon as he first won the mayor’s office in 2005, the man he defeated, Jass Stewart, started planning another run at Harrington.